Driving one afternoon, I noticed the car in front of me with an interesting bumper sticker. It said two simple words: God Listens! Living in the Bible Belt I'm used to reading religious jargon slapped on vehicles but these two words gave me the chills. I just happen to be driving home from Confession!!!
God listens quietly and intimately. He doesn't often make a showy display when his ear is nestled close to our lips. He doesn't say a whole lot at first but ponders our prayer requests in his divine wholeness, planning a course of action. He's an engineer, a healer, a lover, a supporter, and a defender. He takes care of those who believe and trust in his mercy.
God listens! It may not look like he hears any of our petitions because we are impatient creatures. We demand an answer in an instant. Society has taught us to be confident, demanding and insistent on fulfilling our own needs and desires. God doesn't work that way. God is timeless. He's not on a twenty-four hour schedule with deadlines and priorities. He provides us with what we need. Sometimes we may not like what happens to us! But, I know from personal experience what seems like a horrible answer to our prayers is actually a huge blessing. If things turned out EXACTLY what we wished, and prayed for, it may have caused us tremendous pain and remorse.
I came across a beautiful antiphon in Saturday's Divine Office Evening Prayer that induced one of my "Wow!" moments. (I shared the quote with my confessor, and he even agreed it was spot on with my personal struggles.) I get excited when I discover a hidden phrase or quote that inspires deep thought. The Holy Spirit touches me in subtle and clever ways. It's always in the details since I'm a very detailed oriented person.
"No one takes my life away from me; I lay down freely and shall take it up again."
We can blame God for the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the foreclosure on a house, or a cancer diagnosis. We can blame the government for our poverty. We can blame corporate America for taking away our livelyhood. However, the truth of the matter is we make our own decisions. This beautiful gift of choice and free will comes from God himself. No more excuses and no more blame games! No more pity-me parties and self-inflicting harm. Sometimes the choices we make are not right for us, and then sometimes hard times fall upon us. Anger and blame when things get difficult just lead into an endless path of darkness. We see the light only when we reverse the bad attitude and lift up our struggles to the Lord. He will carry some of the weight as he pours forth grace.
So the next time a situation at work tempts us to quit, or a disagreement with a spouse pushes us to head over to divorce court, stop and think of the words God Listens. Ask the Lord for guidance and strength. Pray for the courage necessary to remain calm in times of extreme emotion when we might make rash decisions.
Always remember in times of need God is always ready to listen!
-J.
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